Typewriting machine



April 29, 1930. c. E. NORIN 1,756,433

TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed July'8. 1927 20 lever.

Patents-ti Apr; 29, l fi sTAr CARL E. NORIN, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, 'ASSIGNOR T UNIDERVV'OOD ELLIOTT FISHER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE TYPEWRI'IING MACHINE-l Application filecl July 8,

of machines, for allowing the operator to rotate the platen, at will, through a fraction of the regular line-space forwardly or rear wardly.

The mechanism includes a toothed wheel,

which is fixed to the platen-shaft, and, further, a hand-operated lever adjacent the toothed wheel, having a slot-and-screw connection to the platen-frame, for a longitudinal movement of the lever. Due to the slotconnection a tooth upon the lever may be brought into interlocking engagement with a tooth space of said wheel so that the platen may be conveniently rocked for a partial linespacing as required by a full operation of the When subsequently the lever is returned to neutral, the platen is restorec simultaneously to initial line-position, by the cannning action of the usual detent-roll upon the teeth of the regular line-space wheel.

A stop arrangement for said lever constitutes a particular feature of the invention and includes self-centering seats provided on the lever to seat upon the platen-shaft and determine the normal and line shift positions of the lever.

Another feature lies in means for adjusting the teeth of the fractional linespace wheel to the teeth of the regular line-space wheel without disturbing a prior permanent assembly of the regular line-space wheel and finger-knob upon the platen-shaft.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear. 7

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan showing the fractional line-spacing device at the right hand end of the platen.

Figure 2 is a side View upon the right-hand side of the platen-carriage taken at Figure 1 with the knob broken away to fully show the fractional line-spacing mechanism and its attachment to the platen and platen-frame, with the actuating lever in neutral position, its movement for working position, however, indicated in dot and dash.

Serial No. 204,274.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 with parts broken away to show the actuating lever positioned for exponent writing.

Figure 4 is a similar view showing the actuating lever in position for subscript writing.

Figure 5 is a part sectional perspective disclosing means for adjusting the fractional device.

Figure 6 is a perspective with parts in line but drawn apart so as to clearly show the details of the fractional line-spacing mechanism and their relation to each other.

The type-bar 1 prints upon a platen 2 whose shaft 3 is journaled in a platenframe 4, said shaft having at the right-hand side a knob 5' fixed thereon.

The line-space mechanism at the left-hand end of the platen includes the usual ratchetwheel 6 and detent 7.

A novel toothed wheel 8 may be secured to the right-hand portion of the platen-shaft P. by a set screw 9. A fraction-spacing lever 10 is placed between said wheel and the platenframe and loosely mounted upon the platenframe to actuate said wheel, together with the platen-shaft. Thelever has a finger-piece 11 and a tooth or dog 12 to engage between the teeth of the wheel 8. The lever 10 is further provided with slot 13, through which passes shouldered screw l l threaded into the platenframe, allowing the tooth 12 upon the lever to be shifted into and out of engagement with the wheel 8. In addition to this longitudinal sliding movement of the lever, a swinging movement at right angles to the platen has to be performed, for turning the wheel backwardly or forwardly. An opening 14! c0- operates with the platen-shaft which passes through the opening. The shaft limits the movement of the lever and, at the same time,

tively. The lever in its different shiftpositions is retained by spring 18 urging the notches into engagement with the platenshaft, saidrspring fastened to the platenframe by screw 19 and hooked at 20 to the lower end of the lever-.10. The screw 19 may conveniently serve as a fastening for the usual draw band.

The teeth of the wheel 8 are equal in num her to the teeth of ratchet-wheel V6, and the relative arrangement between the two of teeth anl he lever is such that, when the wheel 8 is properly detained in normal print ing-line position, an opening between two teeth of the wheel 8 will be brought opposite the engaging pin or tooth 12 of the lever 10 which then is in neutral or inoperative position. To obtain this adjustment, a square block or lug 21 is rigidly secured to said wheel '8 and held between the ends of screws 22 threaded into posts 28 which are shown to be integral with the platen-knob 5. Therefore when the wheel 8 is loosened upon the platenshaft by withdrawing the screw 9, the wheel may be given a very fine rotary adjustment by loosening up on one screw 22 and tighten ing up on the other screw 22 or vice versa, and the screw 9 reset, with the lever 10 in neutral position, i. e., notch 16 seated upon the platen-shaft and a space between two teeth of the wheel 8 is brought in line with the tooth 12 upon said lever.

The operation of the fractional linespacing mechanism is performedby pulling the lever 10 forwardly against spring tension 18 from its neutral position, as indicated in Figure 2, so as to position the pin between teeth of the wheel 8 and sinmltaneously diseng ge the middle notch lbfrorn the platen-shaft. The lever is now at liberty to be shifted forwardly or backwardly according to the operators desire to seat one of the adjacent notches 15 or 17 upon the shaft, where the lever may be held in place by said spring 18. In Figure 3 thc'lever is shown to be positioned for exponent writing while in Figure l its position for subscript writing is. illustrated. L Figure 5 subscripts and superscripts are shown which may be obtained by using the novel device.

It will be seen that the device is compact andsimple, and especially convenient in operation, since the entire shift operation is performed by manipulating a single lingerpiece in a direction convenient to the operator. On account of the particular arrangement of the notches 15, 16 and 17, the mere shifting from one notch into another notch serves to guide the actuating lever into or out of engagement with the shaft. Furthermore, the flatness or compactness of the whole arrangement is of special benefit where the space for attachment is restricted. 7

It will be understood that the wheel 8 may be loose on the shaft 3 and that the two screws 22 may be permanently set on oppo- 7 site sides of the lug 21 and the screw 9 eliminated.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. In a hfpewriting machine, the combination with a carriage having a platen, a platenshaft and a line-space mechanism of a fractional line'space mechanism to rotate the platen in. two directions a distance less than a line-space, including a toothed wheel rotatable with the platen, a lever having a'clearance hole for the shaft, a projecting dog on the lever operable to engage between the teeth of the wheel, said lever actuable diametricah ly of the platen across the shaft to bring the dog and teeth of the wheel into interlocking engagement and then actuable toroek the platen, and self-centering seats formed in the shaft-clearing hole of the lever, to seat upon the shaft and determine the forward and backward stroke of the lever for fractionally line-spacing the platen for typing.

2. In a typewriting machine, the-combination with a revoluble platen having a shaft, a line-space-mechanism for the platen, and a platen-frame in which saidshaft is journaled, of fractional line spacing mechanism including a toothed wheel mounted to rotate together with the platen, a lever loosely mount-- ed upon said platen-frame and operating at right angles to the platen-axis and having a projection, said lever actuable so that the proiection may be brought to operatively engage the toothed wheel. for rotation of the platen. and stops upon said lever to enga the platen shaft in limiting the forward and bac we d having at its lower end a slot-connection to -fame. a tooth UJON said lever." the )laten r I 7 120 a finger-piece at the upper end of said lever, whereby to actuate the lever so that the projection operatively engages the toothed wheel. for rotation of the platen, and stops disposed midway upon the lever and engaging with the platen-shaft lever to less than a line-space in the rotation of the platen.

4. In a typewriting machine, the combina- 7 tion with a revoluble platen having a shaft,

in limiting the stroke of the platen-axis and actuable so as to bring a pro jeetion provided upon said lever into operative engagement with said toothed wheel for rotation of the platen and having an opening, said opening substantially formed with notches to engage the platen-shaft in determining the shift of the lever for neutral position and for rotation of the platen backwardly and forwardly, respectively, a distance less than a line-space.

In a typewriting machine, the combination with a revoluble platen having a shaft, a line-space-mechanism for said platen, and a platen-frame in which said shaft is journaled, of fractional line-spacing mechanism including a toothed wheel mounted to rotate together with the platen, a lever loosely mounted upon the platen-frame, said lever operating in a plane at right angles to the platen-axis, actuable so as to bring a projection upon said lever into operative engage ment with the toothed wheel for rotation of the platen, and a detent device to determine the lever in its shift-positions, including notches upon said lever to co-operate with a projection upon the platen-frame and a spring acting longitudinally upon the lever to hold the lever engaged in its respective shift-positions with said projection.

6. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a revoluble platen having a shaft terminating in a knob solidly fixed to said shaft, a linespace-mechanism for said platen, and a platen-frame in which said shaft is journaled, of fractional line-spacing mechanism including a toothed wheel to rotate together with the platen and mounted upon said shaft between said frame and said knob,

a lever between said frame and said toothed wheel, operating at right angles to the platen axis and loosely mounted upon the platen frame and actuable so as to bring a projection provided upon said lever into operative engagement with said toothed wheel for rotation of the platen, means to determine the shift of the lever for neutral position and for rotating the platen forwardly and backwardly, respectively, less than a line-space, and means for adjusting the toothed wheel relatively to the platen for proper co-operation with the line-space-mechanism, whereby a projection rigidly secured upon the toothed wheel is held between the ends of two screws,

which are threaded into corresponding profor typewriting machines, the combination with a rotatable platen and a line-space wheel therefor, of a fractional line-space lever mounted for endwise displacement and settable to idle during normal rotation of'the platen or to engage the line-space wheel to move the same backwardly and forwardly, a stop-means for limiting to less than a single line-space interval the backward and'forward movements of the lever, and means mounted to urge the lever constantly endwise against the stop so that the latter is effective to hold the lever against displacement'from settable positions thereof.

8. In a fractional line-spacing mechanism for typewriting machines, the combination with a rotatable platen and a line-space wheel therefor, of a fractional line-space toothed levermounted for endwise displacement and settable to idle during normal rotation of the platen or to engage the tooth thereof with the line-space wheel to move the same backwardly and forwardly, a stop-means for limiting to less than a single line-space interval the backward and forward movements of the lever, and means mounted to urge the lever constantly endwise against the stop so that the latter is efiective to hold the lever againstdisplacement from settable positions thereof.

9. In a fractional line-spacing mechanism for typewriting machines, the combination with a rotatable platen and a line-space wheel therefor, of a fractional line-space lever mounted for endwise displacement and settable to idle during normal rotation of the platen or to engage the line-space wheel to iove the same backwardly and forwardly, a stop-means for limiting to less than a single line-space interval the backward and forward movements of the lever, and tension able means mounted to urge the lever constantly endwise against the stop so that the latter is effective to hold the lever'against displacement from settable positions thereof. 10. In a fractional line-spacing mechanism for typewriting machines, the combination with a rotatable platen and a line-space wheel therefor, of a fractional line-space detentlever mounted for endwise displacement and settable to idle during normal rotation of the platen or to engage the line-space wheel to move the same backwardly and forwardly,

a stop-means engageahle by a detent of the lever for limiting to less'than a single linespace interval the backward and forward movements of the lever, and means mounted to urge the lever constantly endwise to engage the detent with the stop sothat the latter is effective to hold the lever against displacement from wheel-moving position.

11. In a fractional. line-spacing mechanism for typewriting machines, the combination with a rotatable platen and a line-space wheel therefor, of. a fractional line-space Ill) that the latter is effective to hold the lever against displacement from wheel-moving position.

7 12. In a fractional line-spacing mechanism for typewriting machines, the combination with a rotatable platen and a linespace wheel therefor,of a fractional linespace multiple detent-lever mounted for endwise displacement and settable to idle during normal rotation of the'platen or to engagethe line-space wheel to move the same backwardly and forwardly, a stop-means engageahle by a detent of the lever for supporting the latter in idling position, said stopmeans also engageable by another detent of the lever for limiting the backward and forward movements of the lever, and means mounted to urge the lever constantl endwise to engage any selected detent thereof with the stop so that the latter is effective to holdthe lever against displacement from settable positions thereof.

13. In a fractional line-spacing mechanism for typewriting machines, the combination with a rotatable platen having a shaft, of. a fractional line-space wheel mounted for rotation with the shaft, a fractional lineespace lever mounted for endwise displacement in a direction radially of the shaft and 'settable to idle during rotation of the platen or to engage the line-space wheel to move the same backwardly and forwardly, a detent on the lever to engage the shaft and limit to less than a single line-space the backward and forward movements of the lever and means mounted to urge the lever constantly endwise to engage the detent withthe shaft so that the latter is effective to hold the lever against displacement from settable positions 7 thereof.

14. In a fractional line-spacing mechanism for typewriting machines, the combination with a platenshaft having a line space wheel, of a knob secured upon the shaft to turn the platen, a fractional line-space toothed wheel loosely mounted on the shaft adjacent the knob, inter-fitting devices mount- 7 ed onv the knob and the fractional line-space wheel effective to adjust the loose wheel to the fixed knob and time the teeth of the fractional line-space wheel with the teeth of the line-space wheel, and further efiective to permanently lock the adjusted fractional line-space wheel to the knob, and a settable fractional line-space lever mounted for endwise movement to engage a lined-up toothposition of the fractionalline-space wheel and then rock the platen in either direction to a lever-seating position and hold the platen in a fractional line-spaced position for typ C L E NO RIN V i 

